Game Results

After a sour start to the Junior A playoffs that saw [url=http://www.sm-liiga.fi/finhockey2/sjl_tulospalvelu_popup.asp?ottelu_id=33339&TID=1451&ilman=true]Karri Ramo drop the first game of the series 7-2[/url], Ramo and Pelicans A struck back today to tie the series at 1-1. Buoyed by a [url=http://www.sm-liiga.fi/finhockey2/sjl_tulospalvelu_popup.asp?ottelu_id=33343&TID=1451&ilman=true]first star performance that saw Ramo stop 31 of 32 shots, Pelicans A beat TPS A 2-1 today to even the best of five.[/url] Game Three is slated for tomorrow, March 7th.
Ramo's resiliance in staking his team to a very important 2-1 win was undeniable today. Many young goaltenders' confidence and focus might have been shattered after seeing a shutout streak of 194:51 dissolve into a horrendous 4 goal third period like the one Ramo faced in Game One against TPS A. However, just as Ramo has already proven he has the advanced maturity to compete at the SM-liiga level this season, he proved today he also has the maturity to put aside a bad loss and once again elevate his game when the chips are down. Now with the series knotted up the Cinderella Pelicans A have shortened their series against second seed TPS A into a best of three where anything can happen.

February had been a tough month for Karri Ramo. Despite his [url=http://www.boltprospects.com/node/116]solid performance at the Five Nations U-19 tournament for Finland[/url], playing behind the worst team in the SM-liiga finally began to take its toll. For the entire month of January the 18 year old netminder from Asikkala gave the pittiful Pelicans a chance to win every night out. But as the days of February began to wane, so too did Karri Ramo's stats. By the end, [url=http://www.sm-liiga.fi/tilasto.asp?otsake1=Kausi+2004%] Ramo had slipped to 27th in the league in save percentage posting a .898 mark with a 3.98 GAA.[/url]
Meanwhile down in Junior A a death struggle for playoff position was on as Tapparra A, Pelicans A, Jokerit A and Lukko A all battled to claim the final two spots on the table and the right to move on to the Junior A postseason. With Lahti's SM-liiga season long since doomed and Ramo's confidence fading, the Pelicans decided to send their prized young goaltender back to junior to save the junior team's sagging playoff fortunes.
Ramo did not disappoint.

With Karri Ramo having a tough last month in the SM-liiga, the Pelicans today decided to try and buoy his confidence by allowing him to suit up for their Junior-A team. [url=http://www.sm-liiga.fi/finhockey2/sjl_tulospalvelu_popup.asp?]Ramo responded by shutting out Blues A 2-0 today stopping 18 of 18 shots[/url] faced to garner secpmd star honors. [url=http://www.sm-liiga.fi/finhockey2/sjl_tulospalvelu_stat.asp?TID=1344&tilasto=mv&rajaus=0]The shutout moved Ramo back to first in SM-liiga Jr. A in save percentage.[/url]

The going in the SM-liiga has been tough lately for Karri Ramo. Despite some valiant efforts the young netminder has been buried behind a string of 40 shot, 5 goal allowed games and the Pelicans' lack of talent has finally caught up to Ramo. Still, [url=http://www.sm-liiga.fi/tulospalvelu.asp?palvelu=1&raportti=29750]Ramo did manage to beat Ilves yesterday 4-3 in OT, stopping 24 of 27 shots.[/url] He has slipped overall to a .905 sv% and 3.77 GAA.
However, it is important to note again that Ramo is playing against full grown men in the SM-liiga. Against junior competition, he posted what still stands as the [url=http://www.sm-liiga.fi/finhockey2/sjl_tulospalvelu_stat.asp?TID=1344&tilasto=mv&rajaus=0]second best sv% in Junior A behind only highly touted Tuukka Rask.[/url] Rask is expected to be as high as a top-ten pick if and when the 2005 Entry Draft ever happens.
And, last week in the 5 Nations U-19 tournament Ramo more than held his own in [url=http://stats.swehockey.se/0405/html/5natu19/page0012.html]posting the tournament's best GAA.[/url] Ramo went 1-1 [url=http://stats.swehockey.se/online/37/91320001_bottom_default.htm]dropping his first game of the tournament 3-2 in penalty shots to the Czech Republic[/url] before [url=http://stats.swehockey.se/online/37/91320007_bottom_default.htm]rebounding to shut out Switzerland 3-0 stopping 17 of 17 shots.[/url]

Boltprospects had already learned from the Lightning organization that its European scouts were dancing in the streets about the meteoric rise of goaltender Karri Ramo in the SM-liiga. [url=http://www.sm-liiga.fi/tulospalvelu.asp?palvelu=1&raportti=29704]However, after today's 4-2 victory over Tapparra, somersaults may be even more appropriate.[/url]

Even in defeat, young Karri Ramo continues to impress in his debut season in Finland's SM-liiga. Today, Ramo managed to carry his last place Pelicans into overtime deadlocked at 1-1 against 5th place Lukko Rauma before finally conceeding the game winning goal to Boston's Hal Gill.
Despite the loss, [url=http://www.sm-liiga.fi/tulospalvelu.asp?palvelu=1&raportti=29693] Ramo was named the game's second star after stopping 29 of 31 shots.[/url]

Lightning goaltending prospect Karri Ramo, who was selected in the 6th round of the 2004 draft, [url=http://www.sm-liiga.fi/tulospalvelu.asp?palvelu=2&raportti=29690]fell 5-0 today at the hands of JYP.[/url] Ramo stopped 43 of 48 shots in the loss (.896 sv%). For the young Finnish netminder, some solace can be taken in the way he held his team into the game even against an onslaught of JYP shots.

The bad news is that the Johnstown Chiefs lost 5-2 to Toledo tonight.
The good news for Lightning prospect watchers is that JF Soucy notched 2 assists and Adam Henrich added 1 goal in the game. Henrich is now riding a three game point streak into tomorrow night's game against Wheeling.

While the battle between Gerald Coleman and Jonathan Boutin in jockeying for position for the title of "goaltender of the future" continues to rage on, [url=http://www.sm-liiga.fi/tulospalvelu.asp?palvelu=2&raportti=29685]Karri Ramo may very well be winning the war.[/url]
Today Ramo once again stood on his head to carry his attrocious Pelicans SM-liiga team to a shutout 2-0 victory over Tappara in which he stopped 42 of 42 shots. That's impressive. Especially when you consider the woeful band of players in front of him were outshot 42-18.
Ramo now has a .919 save percentage and a 3.23 GAA in the SM-liiga, against full grown men, on a team which sits dead last on the SM-liiga table. His statistical dominance becomes even more interesting when you begin to take a look at what he's accomplished at the Junior A level for the Pelicans this season.